729063 - [New Tab Page] add drop-down to preference dialog

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 743613

(Firefox :: General, enhancement)

Description

[Tim Taubert [:ttaubert] (inactive)]

Attachment: Example of the 'new tab' drop-down menu

I think we should remove the toolbar (the buttons in the upper right) from the New Tab Page. Bug 716543 has already been filed to remove the refresh/reset button and lots of people didn't understand how to disable the NTP.

We should introduce a simple drop-down menu in "Preferences > Tabs" and implement bug 722234 (and not bug 716543, imho). This wouldn't only simplify the NTP and its code but also make it more obvious how to enable/disable the feature.

This would also provide a good solution for bug 724239 as it's not an empty about:newtab page, but really about:blank when the NTP is disabled.

Comment 1

[Tim Taubert [:ttaubert] (inactive)]

Attachment: Part 1 - Remove the New Tab Page's toolbar

Comment 2

[Tim Taubert [:ttaubert] (inactive)]

Attachment: Part 2 - Correct CSS files and remove old assets after removing the toolbar

Comment 3

[Tim Taubert [:ttaubert] (inactive)]

Attachment: Part 3 - Correct and remove tests after removing the toolbar

Comment 4

[Tim Taubert [:ttaubert] (inactive)]

Attachment: Part 4 - Add browser.newtab.page preference and adapt BROWSER_NEW_TAB_URL

Comment 5

[Tim Taubert [:ttaubert] (inactive)]

Attachment: Part 5 - Add browser.newtab.page drop-down to the preferences dialog

Comment 6

[Tim Taubert [:ttaubert] (inactive)]

Attachment: Part 1 - Remove the New Tab Page's toolbar

Comment 7

[Tim Taubert [:ttaubert] (inactive)]

Attachment: Part 1 - Remove the New Tab Page's toolbar

Comment 8

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

So there will be no way to turn off the new tab page from the new tab page itself? You'll have to go to preferences?

That doesn't seem discoverable.

What about just a simple checkbox that says "Don't show this again" or something like that?

Comment 9

[Tim Taubert [:ttaubert] (inactive)]

I don't think it makes sense to include this directly on the New Tab Page itself. Users that want to turn it off can easily go to the Preferences dialog. We don't want a permanent checkbox saying "don't show this again" if the user decides to keep it.

Also, there will be add-ons setting browser.newtab.url to a different value. All these add-ons would need to implement their own UI to disable a custom New Tab Page. By offering this setting in the Preferences dialog it's predictable and easy.

Comment 10

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

> Also, there will be add-ons setting browser.newtab.url to a different value. All these add-ons would need to implement their own UI to disable a custom New Tab Page. By offering this setting in the Preferences dialog it's predictable and easy.

Good point.

So if an add-on does override it, which of the menuitems will be displayed? Neither of the two correspond to a new URL...

Comment 11

[Tim Taubert [:ttaubert] (inactive)]

The first one. That's only my suggestion for now - it basically means the default new tab page configured in Firefox. This may be "about:newtab" or some custom page.

Comment 12

[Jared Wein [:jaws] (please needinfo? me)]

Bug 743613 is basically the same as this bug but with a slightly different approach. I'm duping over to that bug since it has more discussion.